ALS Anxiety!!

Hey, Im a 22 year old male, and I have the biggest ALS anxiety. I'm pretty active, and it kind of all started in late August when I was going through some stressful times. I would get muscle twitches, in my arms, and legs. Of course, if you look it up on the internet, ou think you have everything. I have this horrible sensation of dread that i have it. I feel I am too aware of my body. For instance, right now, when I swallow, I feel like there is a click noise whenver I do it, and I don't really feel weak in my limbs, but it more feels like I get the odd twinge of pain. I still get twitches every now and then in my shoulder, leg, feet, arm, but they aren't that frequent. This morning, I was making myself eat something to see if I could swallow it, and was scared out of my mind. I didn't choke or anything, but I felt like i couldn't swallow, even though i did. Could someone please tell me that this is all in my head..and if anywone else's throat clicks when they swallow? Or tingling sensations in their fingers? and How weak do you muslces have to be inorder for you to be concerned?
Thanks a lot, just need to vent it out..

You really do sound like you're going through some anxiety. You
even say you're maybe too much in touch w/ things going on &
that means your sub-brain is also wk'g overtime. Your
Eustachian Tubes are in the 'back' of your throat & help to
regulate ear pressure. Guys often have less swallowing space
than woman so the pull may be the click? More guys snore more
than women. ALS has more severe what they call fasciculations
(twitches/jerks/leg cramps/etc. The muscle spasms you describe
sound very minor & anxiety-chemicals in brain or fatique can
trigger these. Usually ALS doesn't appear till 40's. You may
want to talk to Dr abt a script for Ativan & discuss. This rx
helps anxiety but has an added bonus as a smooth-muscle relaxer
that will calm brain & spasm to. Low dose will not sedate you.
ALS is really bad contraction/constriction of muscles. It is
difficult to dx though early on & takes yrs sometimes. Don't
waste those yrs even if it were ALS worrying. Talk to Doc.
You'll sleep better to. Gd-luck.

Thank you ever so much for your reply. It was really appreaciated. I think I will go and see a Doc tomorrow, just to put my mind at ease. I haven't experienced any muscle cramps at all, and it is probably true that my Sub Concious is working overtime. I guess, when my throat feels like it had something in it, and clicks my stressed mind thinks its bulbar form of ALS. A smaller percentage of people get this kind from what I've heard, and it is rare in people my age, so I'm guessin my age and such is on my side:) I just have to learn to relax, so I can get some school work done and get organized. Anxiety can be a really crippling thing. Its amazing what your mind can do to your body.
Thanks again for your time, it really helped me out.

I went through EXACTLY the same symptoms and anxiety three years ago. You said you went to a doctor, which is good to do for reassurance. I went to a neurologist and had a neurological exam and then an EMG and brain MRI to be safe. I "imagined" I had trouble swallowing and was weak but my exams showed no weakness. The internist I saw initially put me on Paxil because he figured it was stress related. It did not stop the twitching all over my body, but did completely get rid of the worry and anxiety associated with it. If it were ALS you would have clinical weakness or wasting first most likely and THEN twitches in that area. You're just fine don't worry. If I were you though, I'd go through the testing for peace of mind rather than go on an antianxiety medication with a host of side effects.

I actually haven't been to a doctor yet. But thank you so much for your reply. It gave me even more relief, just because today if felt like my tounge was weak, and my mouth was watering. But after reading that, it seriously made me feel alot better. This anxiety stuff is really crippling. I will for sure make a doc's appointment, and attempt to put this to rest. Did you as well have your mouth water, and then that further freaked you out? Then you feel like your toungue is smaller than it should be..when it really probably isn't? Man oh man hehe.I must sound like such a basket case! lol.
Once again, thanks soo much:) Its nice to know that I'm not alone in my crazyness:)

I'm glad you found someone to link up with. That's what this forum is all abt. I do want to say, your condition is slightly
different, so if Dr. offers an anxiety med, don't ask for Paxil
instead. Paxil is a SSRI, anti-depressant/panic attacks.
They have many side affects & must be monitored. A low-dose
anxiety-med is cheap & can be stopped easy. Anti-depressants
must be titrated down or sudden stop can cause seizure. Trust
the Dr. though. You may need the SSRI since condition isn't
dx'd yet. Paxil is like the old Prozac w/ slt change. Gd-luck.

I was sticking my tongue out so many times a day to examine it I had sore muscles from it. I imagined I had wasting in my tongue (I would get twitching there too), I was so aware of my swallowing that I was convinced it was labored... also kept wondering if I was producing too much saliva. I'd get really upset if I choked on anything. That's why it's important to have a CLINICAL exam. You may imagine weakness, but the neurologist will do specific tests that will determine if you are in fact showing weakness. Truly, it is nothing but BFS. Check out aboutbfs.com for more info. You can get this after a viral infection and it is in no way serious. I still have twitching all the time, I just completely ignore it now that I know it's nothing. Rest easy. I hate to see anyone go through the months of severe anxiety I went through.

Read "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" Dr. Claire Weekes. She was an Australian psychologist who passed away a few years ago. I PROMISE you will feel vastly better as you read this book. It's fairly short and very readable and you will think she wrote it about you. I keep it next to my bed for refreshers. When you understand the cycle of anxiety-symptoms-fear, you are ready and able to break it, especially that horrible churning feeling in your stomach! You can do it. All the best.

Demiguise and ihatepvc's are giving you sound advice. I'm in the same boat you are and you are not alone by any means, nor or you crazy. The thought of a ravaging disease like ALS is terrifying and my guess is that not only are you anxious by nature but also creative and imaginative. Good ingredients for hypochondriacal anxiety. I found great releif through SSRI's but they do take sometime to take effect. A short acting anti-anxiety med like Xanax can help you to break the fear cycle in the meantime. Also, two books by a Dr. Claire Weekes helped me a lot in understanding just how not alone you are. Once you are confident that you have good medical advice, start getting to the root of the emotional issues or you won't be able to accept the good news from your doctor. As you can see from my recent posting re ALS, even when you have the fear under control, set-backs are normal. Don't be frightened. Peace.

You guys have no idea how good it feels to not be alone in this. I have not had time to see the Doc yet. I don't think I have ever been this busy with school. I enjoy it, but sometimes my lack of organization is causing me major stress and less sleep. This is probably also another contributing factor. Like today, my tounge felt like it had tension in it..I was freaking out..and this of course made my tounge feel even more cramped. Eventually, my whole mouth felt all tense. It was really frightening and EXTREMELY frustrating. Then I kept imagineing I was losing my voice, and I thought it sounded hoarse ( I just like to vent on here hehehe.it really helps) Nervous guy, you seriously nailed my personality. I am anxious by nature, and YES I am a very imaginative and creative person. I actually would really like to know the names of the books you are reading, if possible. ihatepvc's Experience, is actually whta is happenignto me now, the whole sticking my tounge out to see if its ok...and then it gets sore if I do it too much..a really vicious cycle. I will for sure make time to see the Doc, and once again, I really appreciate all your guys' advice, it means a lot to me, and is really helping me.

I do hope you that you receive this. You know I tapped into this site out of curiousity and I am startled at what I have found. 90% of people on this site are exhibiting symptoms of mercury toxicity. I may sound like a broken record but you have described in all your narratives every symptom. I know this because I suffered for years from mercury poisoning. I spent 30 years of my life looking for a diagnosis. My aunt thought that I was pregnant the way my mouth watered. My face twisted to the right side with so much pressure it scared the hell out of me. I did every test imaginable all negative. Some came up false positive,I had yeast infections, ringing in the ear. Sensitivity to heat and cold, slurred speech. Heavines in the leg, tingling and weakness in the arms and leg, blurred vision. Headaches, twitching, nightmares, anxiety, outburst of anger, irritability, chemical and electrical sensitivity, dystonic and parkinsonian and MS symptoms, seizures, simply misery. I ended up in a wheelcahir in 2003 after taking so many falls it became dangerous to stand on my feet, by sept/06 I was unable to speak. I was told that this was all in my head! The company doctor said that I made up the illness! I never gave up looking I refused their antidepressant pills, who the hell was depressed. I was too busy researching and trying to keep working to be depressed! I prayed for an answer, I was able to find the link to the silver fillings in my mouth while searching the net and praying one night. Once I removed the the silver fillings all those symptoms have subsided or improved I removed the last one 02/11/2006.(my insurance paid for the removal) I am now out of the wheelcahir and no longer require a voice amplifier for speaking, this happened by mid December. I can swing my arms again, I go through doors now without collapsing or freezing in one spot and I no longer drag my right leg and I have more rapid movements, I have nottaken fall since. I have a new lease on life,and I can speak with authority about this pandemic!
This was not accomplished by only removing the 3 big toxic teeth. Mercury is highly toxic and since it contaminates the brain, central nervous system, liver and kidney it has to be removed for recovery to take place. I am going through oral chelation to get the mercury poison out of my system. I am under the care of Naturopathic doctor as the regular doctors do not believe me except for one psychiatrist who saw me a few weeks ago, finally a specialist willing to step out of the box!. There are some MDs who specialize in diagnosing heavy metal poisoining and who do chelation but it can be costly and may be done intravenously, me I always prefer the natural way. I start infrared sauna treatments in January/07. I am going to the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, it is very affordable. It will be a long journey but each day I walk further. I still have problems with my right side as I believe that the Neurologist damaged a nerve when he tried to do a lumbar puncture on a stout woman without using an x-ray machine. I also believe that may be due to the fact that the first symptoms started on my right side. I am seeing a good Chiropractor for the pain and I use a cane to get around. My speech occasionally slurrs, I notice it happens more often when I eat oranges. Through research I found out that some oranges are covered with a chemical dye to give them a bright orange colour. Rest is important, I have to rember to slow down because being too active may axacerbate the condition as the mercury is moving through the body at a more rapid state.
If you wnat further inforamtion you may google "Dental Amalgam Mercury syndrome'

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